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Transformative Investments Elevating Fort Lauderdale’s Tourism Engines

April 30, 2025


Did you know that Downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, and Broward County Convention Center combined contribute over $100 billion of annual economic impact to South Florida’s economy? That’s more than the economic impact of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios combined!

A sweeping view of Downtown Fort Lauderdale from the coastline showcases the city’s unique blend of urban skyline, sandy shores, and an expansive network of scenic waterways.
A sweeping view of Downtown Fort Lauderdale from the coastline showcases the city’s unique blend of urban skyline, sandy shores, and an expansive network of scenic waterways.

To keep these economic engines running, close to $4 billion of improvements are planned or underway for the airport, seaport, and convention center. Here’s an inside look at the transformational investments planned and underway right in our backyard.



Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport


Since 2019, major airports in Florida have experienced varying levels of passenger growth, with Fort Lauderdale leading the way. Fort Lauderdale saw the highest increase, adding 7.3 million more passengers, making it the fastest-growing airport in terms of passenger volume.


Orlando followed closely behind with an increase of 6.6 million passengers, and Miami added 4.8 million passengers. In contrast, Tampa and Palm Beach experienced more modest increases, with passenger growth of 1.7 million and 1.5 million, respectively. This data highlights Fort Lauderdale’s rapid expansion as a major travel hub, surpassing both Orlando and Miami in passenger growth since 2019.

Coming soon to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: Terminal 5—a state-of-the-art, 180,000-square-foot expansion designed to enhance passenger flow, add five new gates, and elevate the travel experience with modern amenities and seamless terminal connectivity.
Coming soon to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: Terminal 5—a state-of-the-art, 180,000-square-foot expansion designed to enhance passenger flow, add five new gates, and elevate the travel experience with modern amenities and seamless terminal connectivity.

FLL’s Masterplan is Underway


Construction of Terminal 5 is underway, and plans are progressing to build a new airport intermodal center and an automatic people mover. These improvements will help expand flight capacity, seamlessly connect each terminal, increase parking capacity, add an on-site airport hotel, and enhance connections between FLL and other nearby attractions.


FLL currently serves over 35 million passengers annually, surpassing the passenger counts of airports in Tampa, Nashville, and Austin. When the master plan is complete, FLL will increase its capacity by 15 million people, almost double the current passenger service at Palm Beach International Airport.



Port Everglades


Port Everglades, the 3rd busiest cruise port in the world, continues to break records with an anticipated 4.4 million passengers this year.

A powerhouse for Fort Lauderdale's economy: Port Everglades fuels more than $26.5 billion in annual business activity and supports over 10,000 local jobs, solidifying its role as a major gateway for global trade and cruising.
A powerhouse for Fort Lauderdale's economy: Port Everglades fuels more than $26.5 billion in annual business activity and supports over 10,000 local jobs, solidifying its role as a major gateway for global trade and cruising.
“Port Everglades crushed its own cruise line passenger record for fiscal year 2024, serving as a gateway for 4,010,919 voyagers,” reported CEO and Port Director, Joseph Morris, to the Sun-Sentinel.

Here’s what’s driving this trend:

  • The county’s top ten cruise ports are all experiencing higher levels of service compared to pre-pandemic levels, a 33% increase from 2019.

  • Fort Lauderdale’s 39% increase in passengers served is the largest year-over-year increase among the country’s top ten cruise ports.

  • Port Everglades now hosts 45 cruise ships from 10 different brands.

  • The addition of world-class ships from Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruise Line, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Silversea, and more over the past year is inviting a more upscale vacationer to Fort Lauderdale, resulting in more passengers extending their stays in our community.



Broward County Convention Center


The transformed Broward County Convention and its new 801-room Omni Hotel are set to be unveiled later this year. This $1.3 billion expansion, led by Broward County, will add another 525,000 square feet of meeting space, bringing the total capacity to 1.2 million square feet.

A bold new chapter for meetings and events: The reimagined Broward County Convention Center and adjacent Omni Hotel elevate Fort Lauderdale’s status as a top-tier convention destination.
A bold new chapter for meetings and events: The reimagined Broward County Convention Center and adjacent Omni Hotel elevate Fort Lauderdale’s status as a top-tier convention destination.

This expansion will make Fort Lauderdale’s convention center the 12th largest in the country in terms of total meeting space.


Bar chart comparing convention center sizes in major U.S. cities, showing Fort Lauderdale at 1.2 million square feet—larger than Los Angeles, Austin, Tampa, Charlotte, and Palm Beach.

The renovated convention center is set to become one of Fort Lauderdale’s top attractions, and meeting planners are taking notice. Fort Lauderdale is set to host the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW in May 2026, which will bring over 5,000 travel professionals from 60 countries to our community, showcasing to the world everything our city has to offer.


IPW is just the beginning. Over 80 conventions are booked for 2026 and beyond, expected to attract more than 90,000 attendees to Fort Lauderdale and generate hundreds of thousands of additional room nights for the region. Tourism leaders often say that every move to our community starts with a visit. With scheduled conventions focusing on travel, engineering, healthcare, and technology, Fort Lauderdale is well-positioned to attract top talent and companies across these growing industries for a permanent move.


The future of tourism in Fort Lauderdale is bright.



Up Next: Explore the future of the destination that set the stage for the city’s appeal: Fort Lauderdale Beach.

 
 
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